Health Care

I need to refill my prescription, soon. I have one needle and enough testosterone cypionate for one injection remaining. I don't have health insurance, but absolutely need to make an appointment with my doctor to get a prescription and to have my hormone levels checked. There are a lot of health issues that could arise from hormone therapy that really need to be carefully monitored.

According to Hudson's FTM Resource Guide:

In order to monitor your health while taking testosterone, your doctor will perform a variety of tests in the laboratory-- mostly blood tests. During the first year of testosterone therapy, your doctor should perform blood tests every three or four months. This will be especially helpful in determining an appropriate T dose, as the data found in the blood tests can be used to adjust your dosage amount and/or timing if necessary. If no major problems arise in your blood work during the first year of treatment, blood tests can be taken every six months during the second year. Once into the third year of treatment, blood tests can be performed once per year if no complications arise.

I've had blood tests before, but while I had health insurance. I'm nervous about the cost without it. For instance, I need a serum total testosterone test, which is necessary for my doctor to see what my current levels of "free" and "bound" testosterone are (testosterone exists in the bloodstream in these two forms) and serve as a guideline to measure my progress so far.

And if I had health insurance, I'd also want my doctor to some other tests - like a complete blood count (testosterone raises the levels in this department, and shouldn't go higher than the average male range), liver function tests (liver health can be affected by the use of testosterone; it's metabolized here, for pete's sake), clotting factors test (testosterone has been reported to suppress clotting factors), lipid profile tests (a group of tests that help determine risk of coronary heart disease), and a blood pressure test (my blood pressure had already significantly risen the last time I was able to get a test done), etc.

Hudson's Guide has more detailed info a the potential side effects of testosterone and recommended tests for health care here.

But without health insurance, I won't be able to afford these tests.

Just 9 months ago I felt so prepared and confident about starting hormone therapy. I had been employed for 3 years with health insurance. After all of that time, I felt secure in my employment and started my journey. I knew that hormone therapy has a radical impact on my health and had waited for the most ideal time logistically. Even though it would have been far better for my mental health to start much, much earlier.

And then one day, after three years, I head in to work like I had every other day. And with absolutely no warning, I walk out without a job and without health insurance. A rug was pulled out from underneath me, just like that. I'm fortunate to have unemployment, but it isn't enough to solve my health insurance problem. All of the insurance plans I've found for people in my situation aren't affordable.

I felt so much relief after hearing President Obama's speech on health care. And I really, really hope that the present administration makes progress with that because the health care situation in the U.S. right now is a mess. And a crisis. It's not okay.